Lie Detection Techniques

(POLYGRAPHY)

Prepared by:
Vanessa B. Candao
Introduction
The interrogation of a person suspected for an offense
may not be easies today than before, due to some legal
requirements in the conduct of custodial investigation. The
human race has a long history of devising methods for
determining when a person is lying and when he or she is telling
the truth early societies used torture; statements made by a
person on the rack were considered especially believable there
was also a trial by ordeal.
 Today most police investigator applied different strokes for
different folks under investigation, most police agencies are now
using state of the art equipment in detecting deception and that is
POLYGRAPH Instrument. Polygraph is now widely used in some
foreign countries either for Employment or for Criminal
investigation purposes. Polygraph (popular known as Lie
Detector) is an instrument that measures and records several
physiological responses such as blood pressure, pulse rate,
respiration, breathing rhythms, body temperature and skin
conductivity while the subject is asked and answer a series of
questions.
Deception is defined as the practice of misleading
somebody or the practice of deliberately making somebody
believe things that are not true. It is also an act, trick or
device intended to deceive somebody.

Polygraphy refers to the scientific method of detecting

deception with the used of the polygraph instrument
(machine). It is administered by asking questions to the
subject relevant to the case under investigation.
The middle ages in Western Europe, followed by the dark
times of the inquisition, used methods not to be proud of:
hot irons, iron maiden, the wheel, burning at the stake,
dunking, etc.
EARLY METHODS OF
DETECTING DECEPTION
Common method of deciding guilt or innocence and a practice
of referring disputed questions to the judgment of God,
determined by various means, particularly by physical tests.

A semi-magical method of determining guilt or innocence

which goes right back to prehistoric times through many
cultures prior to the coming of the Anglo-Saxons.
The most prevalent kinds of ordeal were those of fire, water
and wager of battle.
The Red Hot Iron Ordeal

The ancient hill tribes of India used the “The Red

Hot Iron Ordeal”. An accused man was required to
prove his innocence by having a red-hot iron applied to
his tongue nine (9) times. If at any time the iron burned
his tongue, the man was adjudge “guilty”.
Practice in the hill tribe of North Bengal. The accused
has to carry a bar of red-hot iron in his hands while he
walked nine marked paces.
Ordeal of Balance
This is the practice of testing the veracity of the accused by placing
him on the scale of a balance, this ordeal was originated from India.
(The beam must have a groove with water in it, evidently for the
purpose of detecting the slightest deflection either way. The accused
then stepped out of the scale, listened to a judge deliver an exhortation,
then get back in to the balance. If he were found to be lighter than
before, he was acquitted.
Practiced in the Institute of
Vishnu, India. A scale of a
balance is used, in one end of
scale the accused is placed
and in the other end is a
counter balance.
 Boiling Water Ordeal
As a test for deception this ordeal was used in Africa. (A
fire was built and on it settled a huge pot of water. After boiling
if furiously, a smaller pot of cold water was placed near the
boiling pot, and when the water was turning over in huge rolls,
the test began.
The accused was told to plunged
his right arm into the boiling pot to
the elbow. The accused was then
instructed to return the next
afternoon. If the accused lost some
skin or showed blisters, he would
be adjudged guilty of a crime.
 Wager of Battle
In the wager of battle the Judgment of God was
thought to determine the winner, and the defeated
party was allowed to live as a recreant, that is, on
retracting the perjury that had been sworn.
Ordeal by Combat

The aggrieved party claimed

the right to fight the alleged
offender or to pay champion
to fight for him
 The accused fasts for twelve
(12) hours, swallow a small amount
of rice, them imbibes of the dark
colored water. If the suspects ejects
all of the rice, he is considered
innocent of the change, otherwise
the accused is adjudge guilty.
 As a psychological theory, a donkey is placed
in a room alone and observed.
Is an excellent illustration of the employment
of psychology in detecting the guilty. In India, a
donkey was placed in a dimly lit tent or room. Its tail
had been covered with lampblack. All suspects of an
offense were instructed to pass through the enclosure
and while going through they were to grasp the
donkey’s tail. They were also told that the donkey
would bray when touched by the guilty person. Upon
leaving all persons were inspected by the judge.
“The person having clean hands was adjudged
guilty”.
Ordeal by Water
In this type of ordeal, the water symbolic
of the flood of the Old Testament,
washing sin from the of the earth,
allowing only the righteous minority to
survive.
Ordeal by Rice Chewing
It is performed with a kind
of rice called sathee,
prepared with various
incantations.
The rice ordeal consists of chewing a
number of grains of rice in the husk. If
the tooth-flesh is hurt and if blood
issues forth, or if the man is seen to be
trembling during the proceeding, it is
viewed as a proof of guilt. Otherwise
he is acquitted.
Ordeal of the Corsnaed
(Ordeal by Blessed Bread)
A priest puts the corsnaed or
hallowed bread into the mouth
of the accused, with various
imprecations.
 If guilty, it was supposed the bread
would produce convulsions and
paleness and cause choking. If
innocent, it was believed the person
could swallow it freely, and the bread
would turn to nourishment.
I conjure thee, O man, by the Father and the Son and the Holy
Ghost and by the four-and-twenty elders, who daily sound
praises before God, and by the twelve patriarchs, the twelve
prophets, the twelve apostles, the evangelists, martyrs,
confessors, and virgins, by all the saints and by our
Redeemer, our Lord Jesus Christ, who for our salvation and
for our sins did suffer His hands to be affixed to the cross;
that if thou wast a partner in this theft or didst know of it, or
hadst any fault, that bread and cheese may not pass thy gullet
and throat, but that thou mayest tremble like an aspen-leaf,
Amen; and not have rest, O man, until thou dost vomit it forth
with blood, if thou hast committed aught in the matter of the
aforesaid theft. Through Him who liveth.
The following prayer and exorcism were also used and ordered to be repeated three times:

Holy Father, omnipotent, eternal God, maker of all things visible, and of all things
spiritual, who dost look into secret places, and dost know all things, who dost
search the hearts of men, and dost rule as God, I pray Thee, hear the words of my
prayer; that whoever has committed or carried out or consented to that theft, that
bread and cheese may not be able to pass through his throat.

I exorcize thee, most unclean dragon, ancient serpent, dark night, by the word of
truth, and the sign of light, by our Lord Jesus Christ, the immaculate Lamb
generated by the Most High, conceived of the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary
—Whose coming Gabriel the archangel did announce; Whom seeing, John did call
out: This is the living and true Son of God—that in no wise mayest thou permit
that man to eat this bread and cheese, who has committed this theft or consented to
it or advised it. Adjured by Him who is to come to judge the quick and the dead, so
thou close his throat with a band—not, however, unto death.
Legal historian Richard Burn believed that
corsned bread may have originally been the very
sacramental bread, but that later, the bishops and
clergy would no longer allow the communion
bread for such superstitious purposes; they
would, however, grant the people to use the same
judicial rite, in eating some other morsels of
bread, blessed or cursed for the same uses.
Test of the Eucharist
This was applied chiefly innocence
among the clergy and monks. When they
took the host it was believed that God
would smite the guilty with sickness or
death.
Ordeal by the Bier
It was an ancient belief that the slain dead
could point out their killer. In England, it
was customary for the accused to
approach the bier where the corpse lay.
This is an ordeal that was used in
medieval times to test the guilt of a
person accused of murder and that was
based on the belief that the murder
victim's corpse would begin to bleed if it
was touched or approached by the
murderer
 Ordeal of the needle
A red-hot needle was made to pierce the
lower lip of the alleged criminal and if
blood flowed from the wound, he was
deemed guilty; but if none, he is innocent.
Ordeal by Heat and Fire

The accused walked barefooted over red-hot

coals, or was made to walk through fire; if he
was unharmed by fire hr was considered
innocent
 Trial of the Cross
The accuser and the accused were placed under the
cross with their arms extended or crosswise and the first
to move his hands or suffer them to fall was held guilty.
 Trial of the Waxen Shirt
The accused was dressed in cloth covered with
wax and walked barefooted over burning
coals.
 Hereditary Sieve Method
Hans Gross, the Father of
Criminalistics, in his famous book in
criminal Investigation in which beans
were thrown into a sieve as the
name of the suspect was called,
mentioned this ordeal.
 Ordeal of the tiger
Practiced in Siam, the accused and accuser are
placed inside a cage of a tiger; if the tiger spare one
of them he is considered innocent.
A polygraph machine measures human
responses to questions, measuring a lot of
physiological symptoms of anxiety or
emotion to estimate if the subject is being
truthful or not.
Polygraph machine records multiple
signals using 4 to 6 sensors attached to
the patient’s body.
The sensors usually record:
• The person's breathing rate
• The person's pulse
• The person's blood pressure
• The person's perspiration
 From these ancient records until today,
many techniques and methods have been
invented and tried to ascertain truth and lie,
deception or non-deception, right or wrong.
Sometimes based upon pure psychological
methods, sometimes, purely mechanical,
sometimes combination of both, they all come
down to the basic need of knowing the real
facts.
 Cardio – Sphygmograph : collects blood
pressure and heart rate data

Pneumograph : measures respiratory patterns

Galvanograph : measures electro-dermal

activity or sweat
Development of Cardio-Sphymograph
 Angelo Mosso (1895)
He studied fear and its influence on the
heart.
He also developed the
sphygmomanometer, which was designed
to measure flow of blood while a person,
lay on his back in a prone position.
Jh0=
Cesare Lombroso (1836-1909) – he
employed the first scientific instrument to
detect deception, which is known as
Hydrosphymograph.
He was accorded the distinction of being the
first person to utilize an instrument for the
purpose of detecting lies.
A sphygmograph in which the pulse beat is
transmitted to the recorder through a
column of water.
 William Moulton Marston
(1915)
– he was considered the “Father of
Modern Polygraphy”. He dealt with
sphygmomanometer. He also
experimented with galvanometer to
record skin resistance.
-gripping device to record tension
-periodic discontinue of blood pressure
 Sphygmomanometer
an instrument for measuring blood pressure,
typically consisting of an inflatable rubber cuff
that is applied to the arm and connected to a
column of mercury next to a graduated scale,
enabling the determination of systolic and
diastolic blood pressure by increasing and
gradually releasing the pressure in the cuff.
Systolic: The blood pressure when the heart
is contracting. It is specifically the maximum
arterial pressure during contraction of the
left ventricle of the heart. The time at which
ventricular contraction occurs is called
systole.
A systolic murmur is a heart murmur heard
during systole, the time the heart contracts,
between the normal first and second heart
sounds.
"Systolic" comes from the
Greek systole meaning "a drawing together
or a contraction." The term has been in use
since the 16th century to denote the
contraction of the heart muscle.
Systolic" comes from the Greek systole meaning
"a drawing together or a contraction." The term
has been in use since the 16th century to denote
the contraction of the heart muscle.
 The diastolic pressure is specifically the minimum
arterial pressure during relaxation and dilatation of
the ventricles of the heart when the ventricles fill
with blood. In a blood pressure reading,
the diastolic pressure is typically the second
number recorded.
In a blood pressure reading, the diastolic pressure
is typically the second number recorded. For
example, with a blood pressure of 120/80 ("120
over 80"), the diastolic pressure is 80.
A diastolic murmur is a heart murmur heard during diastole,
the time the heart relaxes.

Diastolic" came from the Greek diastole meaning "a drawing

apart." The term has been in use since the 16th century to
denote the period of relaxation of the heart muscle.
The first number, called systolic blood pressure,
measures the pressure in your blood vessels
when your heart beats. The second number,
called diastolic blood pressure, measures
the pressure in your blood vessels when your
heart rests between beats.
John A. Larson
– a medical student at the University of
California, devised the first practical
polygraph in 1921.Also known as the
portable polygraph ”( first American
Polygraph)

Also have muscular movement pen for

the arm and thighs (first two recording
channel polygraph)
 Leonarde Keeler
– marketed a single three-channel instrument combining Larson’s device with a
GSR (GALVANIC SKIN REFLEX)mechanisms in the 1930’s.
In 1949, he invented the “Keeler Polygraph which was an improvement of
Larson’s device.
METAL BELLOWS AND DESIGNED AND KYMOGRAPH
-Keeler Institute – first polygraph school
-The first full time professional polygraph examiner
- The father of polygraphy
Leonarde Keeler, above all others involved in the
history of modern polygraphy, can be considered
as one of it’s founders. He was born in 1903 in
North Berkeley, California. While in high school,
he worked for the Berkeley Police Department for
August Vollmer. He assisted John Larson during
his early polygraph work.
At the time, John Larson was beginning his
experiments into detecting deception using his
"breadboard" polygraph. A cumbersome
instrument, requiring smoked drums, he tested
criminal suspects for the Berkeley Police
Department. Leonarde Keeler was fascinated with
the process, a fascination which would turn into a
life long pursuit.
The instrument itself had many drawbacks. It took a
half hour to set up. The paper used to record
physiological responses had to be smoked and was
smudgy and messy. They were very brittle and even
with the utmost care, they broke and cracked. The
pens on this instrument actually scratched tracings
onto this smoked paper.
To preserve the charts once the examination was
completed, they had to be shellacked and stored in
cans. Although the forerunner of modern polygraph
instruments, Keeler found it lacking in many
respects. Nicknamed "Sphyggy" by the local media,
John Larson’s instrument was Leonard Keeler’s first
instrument.
 Etienne-Jules Marey (1830-1904) –
He also produced an instrument called the sphygmograph, which allowed
medical doctors to produce graphical records of pulse rate for the first time.
In 1876 Marey advanced the study of cardiac (heart) irregularities by
devising a polygraph instrument that recorded pulse rate and heartbeat
simultaneously.
Development of Pneumograph
Component
Vittorio Benussi (1914) – he detected deception
with a pneumograph, an instrument that
graphically measures the inhalation and
exhalation.

CHANGES IN BREATHING PATTERNS BY NOTING

THE CHANGES IN RESPIRATION-EXPIRATION
RATION DURING DECEPTION
Harold Burtt (1918) – he determined
that respiratory changes were
indication of deception.
Development of Galvanograph
 Luigi Galvani (1791) – he is Italian
Psychologist who was accorded the distinction
for developing the galvanic skin reflex (GSR) or
the galvanometer, which records electrical
bodily resistance in terms of ohms.
The GSR reflected emotional changes by
measuring changes in person’s skin resistance to
electricity.
 Sticker (1897) – he made the first
suggestions for using the galvanograph for
detecting deception based on the works of
several predecessors.
Veraguth (1907) – he was the first one to
use the term “psychogalvanic reflex”. He
believed that the electrical phenomenon is
due to the activity of the sweat glands.
 “psychogalvanic
reflex”.
a momentary decrease in the apparent electrical
resistance of the skin resulting from activity of
the sweat glands in response to mental or
emotional stimulation
John E. Reid – He designed a special
chair equipped with metal bellows for
recording unobserved muscular
activities of the arms, thighs and feet,
located on the arm of the chair and on
the seat, this transmit singular
muscular activity to the recording
polygraph.
Cleve Backster (1960) - Backster conceived the
psychological theory that forms the basis of his zone of
comparison technique that provides constant monitoring of
the subjects reactivity and designed to disclose outside issue.
This is known as the “Backster Zone Comparison Test”.
Early Publications of Polygraph
A. Sir James Mackenzie (1906) - A famous heart specialist. It
was said that “polygraph” exists as early as 1906 but it is not
being used to detect deception. He first described the
instrument in an article entitled “The Ink Polygraph” which
appeared in the British Medical Journal in 1908.
B. Vittorio Benussi (1913) - He presented a paper
before the second meeting of the Italian Society for
Psychology in Rome, on the subject of his experiments
regarding respiratory symptoms of lying.
C. Richard O. Archer (1953) - The first polygraphist
to record simultaneously on regular basis the chest
and abdominal breathing patterns. He was also the
first on to record simultaneously two galvanic skin
reflexes.
In 1966 he founded the Journal of polygraph Science,
the oldest of the polygraph publications.
 Other Pioneers in the Field of Deception Detection

Daniel Defoe
In the history of lie detection, he was the first to practice the
technique of taking the pulse as means to detecting lies.
• Anton Mesmer – In 1778 he was the first one to introduce
hypnotism as a method of detecting deception.

• Dr. Edward Mandel House – A U.S. psychiatrist and diplomat

who introduced truth serum as a method of detecting
deception.
• hyoscine hydrobromide
 POLYGRAPH
The word polygraph is a composition of two
words, “poly” which means “many” and “graph”
which means “writing chart”

It is defined as a scientific instrument purposely

designed to record psycho-physiological changes that
occur within the body especially lying when
questioning a person
 The polygraph or Lie Detector instrument in
popular understanding is a mechanical device that is
supposed to ring a bell or flash a light or produce
some other quick and positive indication of a lie when
one is told by the person being tested. But no such
instrument exist at the present time. There is no
instrument that mechanically supplies the answer
whether a suspect is lying or telling truth, however, it
is a demonstrable fact that there is available a type of
instrument which is capable of producing recordings
of physiological phenomena( respiration, blood
pressure, pulse rate, and skin resistance) that may be
used as the basis for the application of a reliable
technique for diagnosing deception.
• CARDIOSPHYGMOGRAPH

- records the blood pressure and pulse

rate of the subject.
 Kymograph

- is a motor that pulls or drive the chart paper

under the recording pen simultaneously at the rate of six(6)
to twelve (12) inches per minute.
Polygraph usage has proven successful in:
 Eliminating suspects
 Recognizing false complaints
 Testing informants to determine the
veracity of information provided
 Providing a new "key" to an
investigation when all other standard
investigative techniques have been
exhausted
 Narrowing the focus of inquiry
 Gathering additional information and
evidence
 Assisting to focus the investigation on
particular suspects
USES OF POLYGRAPH EXAMINATION
 Criminal Investigation
 Pre-employment
 Periodic Screening
 Insurance Investigation
 Sexual Harassment/ Domestic Issues
 Employee Theft /Fraud
 Industrial Espionage/ Pilferage
 Finance and Banking Investigation
 Criminal Investigation
 It is an aid to the investigator.
 It speeds up the process of
investigation.
 It eliminates innocent subject.
 The investigator can concentrate
one subject to determine truth or
deception.
 Pre-employment Examination
The fastest and easiest
way to verify a candidate
background and instead
of spending time on
calling previous
employers and sending
out letter to universities to
verify education and
employment history it all
comes out in the
polygraph test.
 Periodic Examination

This test is for all size

companies on monthly or
bi-monthly basis were few
of the employees were
examined to verify their
loyalty, or honesty to the
company rules, and
regulations, employees
never know when the test is
done or who is going to be
tested.
 Insurance Investigation

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Sexual Harassment/Domestic Violence

A lie detector test may

be helpful in cases of
suspected violence in
the family, molestation,
sexual harassment, and
infidelity within a
marriage.
Employee Theft/Fraud/ Industrial
Espionage/Pilferage

Several private investigation

agencies make frequent use
of polygraph test findings
during the course of private
investigations in a wide
range of subjects.
Sports and Competition

Occasionally, athletes are issued a

polygraph test to verify that they did not
cheat in a contest. This is more frequently
done with winners, but is not limited to
them. Competitions with high rewards
for winners create the most incentive to
gain unfair advantages, such as
performance enhancing drugs or illegal
equipment. Many competitors are told
that they will be subject to a polygraph
test upon completion of the event, which
deters some from participating if those
individuals know they will be caught.
 LIMITATIONS OF POLYGRAPHY

a. The polygraph does not, and cannot,

detect truth or deception.

b. It is a test where the accuracy is

dependent upon the examiner.
COMMON POLYGRAPHS MYTHS

• Myth 1 - The polygraph

is no good because it is
not admissible in court,
right?
 Accuracy and Reliability

Accuracy 90%
Inconclusive 10%

Psychology Department
University of Utah
Funded by the U.S Treasury Department

Latest Study 98% Accurate

Reasons why polygraph results is
not admissible in court
It has not been standardized
as to the instrumentation.

 As to the test procedure.

 As to the qualification of
Polygraph Examiners.
COMMON POLYGRAPH MYTHS

Myth 2 - If you
are nervous you
will fail the
polygraph test.
COMMON POLYGRAPH MYTHS

Myth 3 - I had a friend

who took a polygraph
test and he failed
even though he was
telling the truth.
COMMON POLYGRAPH MYTHS

Myth 4 · “I’ve heard

that machine can be
beat.”
COMMON POLYGRAPH MYTHS

Myth 5 · “Does test

hurt? Will I get an
electric shock?
COMMON POLYGRAPH MYTHS

Myth 6 - “I have a high

blood pressure. Won’t
that look as though I’m
lying?”
COMMON POLYGRAPH MYTHS

Myth 7 - Drugs and

alcohol affect the
results/accuracy of
polygraph
examination.
COMMON POLYGRAPH MYTHS

Myth 8 · I thought
the examination
would only take
about 10 minutes.
Uses of polygraph examination:

• It is an aid to the investigator.

• It speeds up the process of investigation.
• It eliminates innocent subjects.
• The investigator can concentrate to one
subject to determined the truth or
deception.